Sub-Saharan Africa 2015 debt issuance falls 22 pct

Debt issuance in sub-Saharan Africa fell to its lowest annual total in three years in 2015, data from Thomson Reuters showed on Monday, as sinking currencies and faltering economies kept borrowers out of the market.

Taking advantage of historically low yields and strong investor appetite, Africans have borrowed heavily in international markets in recent years. Debt sales reached record highs in 2014.

But the prospect of rising interest rates in the United States, slowing economies at home and a gloomy outlook for commodity prices are making African states and companies more reluctant to tap capital markets.